Parking meter rates hurting business

Business owners, shoppers and restaurant and theater patrons throughout the San Fernando Valley are up in arms about the increased parking meter rates that have been introduced over the past year - and demanding something be done about it.Tony Castro in the Daily News.

Councilman Dennis Zine agrees and has asked officials to re-evaluate the rate hike, which was intended to raise an extra $18million for cash-strapped city coffers. He believes the rate increase may have been counterproductive.

"If we're losing out on sales taxes because people aren't shopping at some of our businesses because of parking, then it has been doing more harm than good," Zine said.